The Malay-Kabong Dialect

Bahasa Melayu Sarawak or Sarawak Malay is spoken by over 500,000 people concentrated in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, Borneo. However, these languages are not only limited to one. There are many dialects that we have yet explore and heard.

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In Sarawak, the language in which the core terms of the Sarawak Malay language can be said to be taken from Kuching and Samarahan area. However, the pronunciation will be different if spoken in the Saribas-Saratok-Kabong area.

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Most words and pronouncation are slightly different from Malay-Kuching dialect. Malay-Kabong dialect can be quite confusing and hard to understand at first compared to Kuching and Samarahan dialect.

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Malay-Kabong language features an attractive and distinctive dialect and terms. The use of the vowel o at the end of the word dominates the pronunciation from this district.

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If in Kuching "KENAPA NI" is called "KENAK YA".

But in Kabong it will be called "NAKPO YO".

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If the term "YANG ITU" in Kuching may be called "NAK YA".

But in Kabong it will be "NAK YO".

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If "MEMANG BEGITU LAH" in Kuching is called "NANG GIYA",

But in Kabong it becomes "NANG PO YO".

 

If "SUKA HATI SAYA LAH" in Kuching, it may be said as "SUKA HATI KAMEK EMPUN".

But in Kabong, it will shorten it to "KOTI KUMPUN".

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Almost every words that ends with vowel "a" in Malay-Kuching dialect will ends with vowel "o" in Malay-Kabong dialect. But there are some words that is not suitable to end with vowel "o". For example, "BAHAGIA" is still pronounced as bahagia and not "BAHAGIO".

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There are also some confusing words that people always got mistaken because of its structural changes. For instance, "BAIT-BAIT" means "HATI-HATI" in Kabong dialect but people often mistook its meaning as "BAIK" in Malay language. Another example is "AOK" which you say when you are agreed with someone or when you say "YA" in Malay language. It does not necessary means "OKAY" all the time.

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Furthermore, there are another words  and terms that are rarely heard in other places or community such as "LANG" which means "PINTU", "PENJAN" is "TINGKAP", "KELEMPAN" is a frying pan and many more.

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Besides, there are the same existing words in Malay language but has a different meaning in Kabong dialect. For example, "LAWA" in Malay language is "beautiful and pretty", but in Kabong dialect, "LAWA" means "arrogant". Same goes with "KACAK". Usually, "KACAK" is a term to praise a man that looks handsome in Malay language, however in Kabong dialect, it is a compliment for both gender. It has the same meaning as "pretty and handsome".

In addition, dialect Kabong also have a different pronunciation such as  the word "SEKOLAH" in Kuching, it will be pronounced as " SEKOLEAH" in Kabong. The other example is if "BELAKANG PINTU" in Kuching, it will be pronounced as "BELAKEANG LEANG". There is still a lot of words that automatically changes when it goes Kabong dialect.

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There's a lot more words and terms exist in Kabong dialect. Here's the attached file of a study about Melayu-Kabong dialect by Salbia Hassan and to study more about Kabong dialect, you can also click on 'Learn More' button below.